Feathers
by emoprincessmikey
Summary: Loki has a special relationship with the ravens Hugin and Munin- their bonds strech beyond friendship and even in some instances reality. Is he going crazy or is there more to the Allfathers ravens the meets the eye?


**Feathers**

The fist time he saw Hugin and Munin he was five or six years old and very sick. Well it wasn't the first time he had _seen_ them per say, the two ravens had been hovering around in the background as long as he had had conscious memories; but it was the first time he had seen them as the _really_ were.

Due to his fever Loki had been unable to sleep or get comfortable and being little more then a baby had been crying wildly. His Father had come in to comfort him and riding in on the shadows came the two birds. As Odin held Loki and stroked his fevered little forehead his eyes had wandered. The fire in grate had burned down low and everything had a wavering dream-like quality and the heat coming from inside his own body only added to the surreal atmosphere.

Odin sang and rocked him gently and as Loki struggled against sleep and the scary hot darkness that hovered around him his gaze found the two ravens. One was perched on the back of the chair near the fireplace and the other sat imperiously on the velvet cushion. He was too young to tell which bird was which but he liked them because they brought him shiny things like shells or pebbles that glowed with magic.

Their presence was comforting and Loki felt himself giving into the sleep that his Father was singing for him. His eyelids were heavy now and every time he blinked the room changed from everyday familiar to fantastic. Now seated on the chair was a beautiful black haired girl and standing leaning over the back an equally beautiful boy. The girl winked at him, the ornaments in her hair and ears jingling with the little tilt of her head. _Good sleep sweet Prince_ a voice like the tinkling of wind bells whispered in his head, and as he sank off to sleep he realized it came from the girl/bird. It was a hazy fever dream at best, but Loki could always swear he saw the pair when his eyes were _open._

The second time he encountered the duo was much later, just after his sixteenth birthday if his memory could be trusted; and often it could not be with events concerning the Ravens. He had gone off for a ride on his new horse by himself. That was against the rules but he hadn't cared, he was sick of his parents rules, of his teachers rules, of pretty much everyone. Who was he supposed to ride with anyway? He couldn't stand his brother or the friends he hung out with. They were often cruel to him and left him out of their activities most of the time, besides he was a better rider then all of them combined. Nothing would happen to him, it never did.

Lygari snorted and tossed his head at Hugin and Munin who were riding a thermal above them. They often spent time with Loki and were better companions to him then any of the Aesir. He was used to them tagging along on his rides or walks in the forest looking for herbs and flowers and they still brought him things that they felt he would find of interest. He in turn would often share his lunch or other sweets with them.

Horse and rider entered their favorite field and Loki spurred Lygari up into his ground eating gallop. Leaning low over his mounts neck Loki enjoyed the feeling of the wind rushing through his dark hair-he had left his helmet in the barn, he didn't like that rule either. One of the ravens banked in front of them and he watched feeling like he was flying with it and getting lost in the imagining of the sensation. What happened next was a painful blur for Loki forever afterwards. It was assumed that Lygari shied at a deer leaping out of the tall grass in fright of their approach but if that was the case Loki never saw it. Without warning Lygari reared up and sent his rider airborne with a startled _squawk_ not unlike the ones that issued from his avian companions.

He landed _crack _on his back, his head rebounding several times against the surprisingly stony ground. Things got dark and light and dark again in turns and it felt like all of eternity before he could fill his lungs with air. When he could open his eyes again he was staring up through an odd red haze at a beautiful woman.

_Oh be still my Prince! Just be still!_ She said, or seemed to say. Her eyes were the deepest gold and filled with fear and concern, her dark hair creating an aura around her elegant face.

A second face floated beside hers, identical in every way but belonging to a young man. _Stay with him Munin I will go get the Allfather!_ He said in a voice as stunning as he was. He disappeared from Loki's limited view and it just seemed so natural to think that he was now flying to get help. Yes. Very natural because these _were_ the Ravens. He didn't know how or why, but he knew it to be the truth.

_I must be dying. Or going mad_. He thought and was surprised to see the woman give him a sad smile. She gently stroked his face and hair and he wasn't surprised to see his blood on her hands. "Don't leave me." He managed to whisper suddenly frightened.  
_Do not worry Prince, I will not leave you._ She assured him in her oddly familiar voice. He was starting to shiver and she covered him with her spectacular feather cloak. She began to sing to him softly in a tongue he didn't know and Loki felt at peace and the intense pain of moments before abated a little. Things were getting dark again and before he slipped off he promised himself he would remember the man and woman and he would ask his Father about this later. Of course he never could trust that the former were real and never did the latter. And besides Thor had sworn up and down that when the rescue party arrived it was only him, Lygari and one of the two ravens in that field- not a soul or thing else.

By the time he had another major incident concerning the mysterious Hugin and Munin Loki was old enough to know that there were many things in the Nine Realms that were beyond logic or explanation. As his grasp of the magic arts grew stronger he trusted what happened in his hazy memories and dreams less and less- but he never really let go of his childish belief that his Fathers messenger birds were more then met the eye.

When the Ravens weren't off running errands for the Allfather they spent a majority of their time with the Dark Prince so he had more then ample opportunity to observe them; he even felt that he could _sometimes_ tell which was which. Some days they were the only contact he desired, and most certainly the only things in the whole of Asgard he could consider his friends. They had fastidious table manners, never made snide comments about his attire or the ink on his hands; in fact they talked not at all and that made them far superior to the other company he was often forced to keep.

This had been one of those days he didn't desire any contact with the members of his own race; and that day had dragged into one feast filled night. _Of course_ it had all been because of some spectacular feat of Thor's and frankly Loki hadn't given a shit and ditched the raucous party in favor of one more to his liking. He was already more then sufficiently drunk to begin with since wine had been the only way to ease his suffering while down stairs under duress but once back in his own chambers he sought his own fun in a strong dose of poppy milk.

He flung wide the windows of his bedroom to let in the moonlight and chill night air and plopped beside a roaring fire of his instant kindling in his favorite chair waiting for the opium to kick in. It didn't take long and he was in a super relaxed frame of mind when two soft _thumps_ sounded behind him near the window. "Ah, my friends," He glanced around the back of the chair expecting the dark forms of the birds. The glass of wine in his hand slipped to the floor and he stared. It was the 'birds' alright.

_What a waste of good wine Loki _Hugin complained guiding his twin sister around the spill and broken glass. They both moved silently on their bare feet.  
_Why are you up here all alone my Prince? _Munin asked gliding on to his lap and settling herself comfortably.

Loki was at a total loss. Of words, of his mind- it was all just _gone_. She waited patiently for his answer, gazing into his green eyes with her gold ones and turning her head back and forth in a very bird like gesture. "I-I don't care for unnecessary parties?" he finally managed to stammer out. "Especially ones for my brother."

Munin's laugh was like a little trickling waterfall in a secret glen and made his heart stop beating. _Oh well we know Prince. Shall we have our own little merrymaking then Hugin?_

Hugin turned briefly away from his inspection of Loki's potion bottles on a nearby shelf, _If that is what you want Sister_ he said distractedly and went back to touching all the sliver toppers of the bottles.

Loki couldn't stop staring, his eyes going from one to the other. They were identical twins, alike in everyway. Munin wore her waist long hair down, held back from her face by a golden circlet. Hugin's hair was just as long but pinned up in a knot at the back of his head with a long gold needle. Both wore mismatched baubles and bangles of gold a sliver in their hair and sewn into their clothes and Loki could only assume they were treasures they had collected on their innumerable flights through the Realms. Munin's outfit was delightfully skimpy as he was quickly becoming aware, and both wore cloaks of the most magnificent and familiar black feathers.

Munin cuddled against his chest and stroked his hair and face with a familiarity that _should_ have disturbed him, but was only strangely comforting. _Oh Prince, you could be one of us…_she twined a lock of his raven hair around her bejeweled finger. He stared down into her eyes like one hypnotized totally unable to find his words.

The woman leaned up and kissed him softly on the mouth making Loki shiver like he had been hit with one of Thor's lightening bolts. It was amazing. He kissed her back tasting of the peppermints he left for them on the window ledge. She smiled hearing his thoughts; _you always leave us the best treats Loki._

"Mhm," he murmured absently and pressed his lips to her hair breathing in the scent of night air and jasmine from the trellis on the balcony. _This is the most real dream I've ever had_ he thought.

_It's as real as you need or want it to be my Prince._ Hugin said sitting on the arm of the chair and tipping Loki's chin up to kiss him as well. Loki was by no means put off by this and kissed the brother just as eagerly as the sister. His kisses were like fire and pulled Loki in a different way then Munin's.

_I've done weirder shit then this right?_ He asked himself as his pulse started to pound in his ears. _Right. Much worse…this is fine. This is nothing gods know compared to _that_. _Things were starting to get more interesting and making him question a lot more then his sanity. But he went with it; he didn't care if it was the wine, the poppy or his final moments as a sane entity. He would do as he pleased, and this was _extremely _pleasing to him.

Loki awoke to the sun streaming unpleasantly into his bedchamber. His head was pounding; his stomach heaving and he found himself sprawled out on the cold marble floor – completely alone. It would have been _so _easy to write off what his brain and body were screaming had happened as the effects of overindulgence in his stimulants except for the large love bite on his neck from Hugin and the long, black pin feathers braided into his hair from Munin.

This time he knew he could see them because he was actually dying. He had long suspected the only times they came to him in their god forms was when he was close to death or in an altered state due to the poppy and this only confirmed it. Munin's sorrowful look told him that this time he wasn't probably going to make it. She and Hugin were sitting on a near by bolder where moments before they had landed in their more familiar forms.

Loki heard the crunch of boots in the dirt and felt himself being lifted onto someone's lap. _Great_, it was Thor. He looked up into his brother's face vacantly.  
"Oh Loki, why? Why did you do that?" Thor asked in a hoarse whisper.  
"I-I did it to save you. To save all of them." Loki's voice sounded odd even to him. Like he was talking through a mouthful of water, "Atonement is never bought easily Brother."

One of Thor's tears fell gently on his face, and Loki couldn't find it in his heart to feel his usual peevishness about his brothers over sentimentality. "Don't mourn me again Thor, you don't have too."

"But I will."

"I know. " Loki gasped in pain and dug his nails into Thor's arm.

Thor rocked him and whispered soothing things in his ear, begging him not to leave. A part of Loki's mind registered these platitudes and was sad but a greater part was absorbed in watching the Ravens. Munin had come closer and was kneeling beside him,_ My Prince…_she whispered and gently touched his hand.

"Shoo! Be gone bird!" Thor snapped waving a hand at the huge bird that was resting its head on Loki's blood stained hand.  
"N-no Thor…they stay…please…" Loki whispered his green eyes glittering with tears and pain. Thor only nodded and held him closer.

Hugin had joined his sister in sitting vigil with Loki's own brother and as Loki's grasp on life began to slip they began to sing. _It's time my Prince _Munin whispered taking his hand in her thin pale one while Hugin carried on the wild song, _Do not be afraid! We will guide you to Valhalla. _

_I'm not afraid, _Loki assured her. _I am ready now…_ His eyes gently rested on the face of his brother. A small affectionate smile played on his lips and he brushed Thor's cheek with his fingers with what was left of his strength. _Good bye Brother, I have always loved you, though I rarely told you._

And as Loki's body relaxed softly in his arms and his spirit departed for Valhalla Thor felt strangely at peace; all had been understood and forgiven in the last gaze of those green eyes. The two Ravens took to flight making a dust cloud with their powerful wings and Loki rose with them. Flight was everything he thought and dreamed it would be! He could see his own broken body and Thor looking up after them. Loki wondered briefly if he could still see him and waved just in case. Everything was getting smaller now, less distinct as if being obscured by clouds and he knew it was because he no longer belonged to that world.

The smoking air of the battlefield was rendered by the Ravens raucous cries as they winged their way higher- _Hail Valhalla! __Here rises Loki Prince of Asgard and of Jotunhiem! Hero, warrior, our friend!_ Loki no longer bothered to gaze below him, his eyes we're now fixed only on the stars that glittered in the blackness like the ornaments of Hugin and Munin. They glided beside him, singing and cavorting about like children taking him higher and higher towards a star that burned brighter then all the others. The light surrounded them and with an involuntary gasp of delight and astonishment Loki- Prince of two realms, Master of magic and mischief entered the perfect world of Vallhalla; his faithful friends by his side.

**Fin**


End file.
